The Solar Eclipse – Alexander Balog

THE SOLAR ECLIPSE

By Alexander Balog

IT WAS A BEAUTIFUL DAY.  NOT A CLOUD  IN THE SKY.  I WAS GENTLY LAYING IN A PATCH OF MOIST GRASS LOOKING UP AT THE SKY AS THE MOON WAS CREEPING UP TOWARDS THE SUN. I FELT AS IF I WERE ON ANOTHER PLANET AS I LISTENED TO THE BIRDS’ TUNES AND SMELLED THE FRESH LONG GRASS.
WHEN I CLOSED MY EYES, I IMAGINED I WAS FLOATING IN SPACE, GAZING IN WONDER AT THE SOLAR ECLIPSE. I PEALED MY EYE LIDS BACK AND SAW THE MOST SPECTACULAR LIGHT SHOW IN THE SKY.  IT WAS LIKE A RING OF FIRE SNUGLY LATCHING AROUND A WHOLE PLANET.  THEN THE BLUE SKY WAS SWALLOWED UP BY DARKNESS AND THE AIR GREW COLD.
AT THAT POINT THREE QUARTERS OF THE SUN HAD DISAPPEARED BEHIND THE MOON.  I WAS SPEECHLESS.  I WAS SIMPLY IN AWE OF THE SIGHT THAT I WAS SEEING.  AFTER A MINUTE OR TWO, THE ECLIPSE WAS OVER. THE SKY WAS BLUE AGAIN AND THE ICY WIND BECAME WARM. “I WILL NEVER FORGET THAT MOMENT”,  I THOUGHT.
FOR THE REST OF THE AFTERNOON MY VISION WAS BLURRY. “IT’S JUST A SIDE EFFECT THAT EVERYONE GETS”, I THOUGHT, THEN FELL ASLEEP. I WOKE UP TO THE BEAMING SUN AND PEERED MY EYES OPEN. THERE WAS ONE PROBLEM. WHEN I OPENED MY EYES, I COULDN’T SEE ANYTHING…EVER.